The son of Mercury
by BlaineSimpsonSpock
Summary: AU after The Last Olympian. The Underworld is in chaos,and Luke Castellan uses this situation to escape from there. Then,his heritage takes him to another refuge for half-bloods. In that place,Luke will have to deal with new enemies and his old demons.
1. New Life

Luke Castellan was waiting in line for his judgment in the afterlife. Said line was very long,and the demigod was alone with his thoughts. Thanks to the physically, mentally and emotionally demanding events through Luke's life, his thoughts were keeping his head really busy,while reviewing his last five years.

He knew pretty well he had done many terrible things,and was willing to go through a trial for it,but had serious doubts about how unbiased and fair said trial would be. Yes,Luke and the Titan Army had committed atrocities, but the other side wasn't exactly innocent. It was all a huge tragedy - a bunch of kids,teens and very young adults fighting in the behest of uncaring deities,doesn't matter which side(and Luke himself was one of those people, his want to destroy the old and make a new being used by a cruel Titan). That's why Luke had requested Percy to not let it happen again.

Percy was practically everything Luke wanted to be:powerful, succeeded on a quest,had friends who supported him for years instead of having them for a few months and a tragedy fuck things up,a mother that supported him instead of someone very unstable who could barely take care of herself. Besides, Percy was genuinely well-liked in the camp,while Luke had some empty popularity and status that made it easy for him to recruit and manipulate campers(especially on cabin 11) but did not help when it came to real friendships and support(yet he was very much afraid of losing said popularity before leaving the camp,as if it was the only kind of affection he could've gotten). Remembering it still made Luke's blood boil,even though he was dead,what made the way his blood ran irrelevant. However, Luke also had respect and gratitude towards Percy Jackson, he was sure the son of Poseidon would use the hero clout he had with the gods to make an actual effort in order to change how things functioned. Considering all of that,Castellan had very mixed feelings towards Jackson.

Luke wasn't sure how much Percy's possible stints would've worked because Olympians were irresponsible little kids with too much power(yet they were miles better than the Titans,as Luke had learned in some point of his journey. Maybe it was the needless bloodshed. The son of Hermes was no innocent, but he didn't like the wanton cruelty). On the other hand, most of them stopped being rapists,as a particularly strong example. Either way, Luke was sure Percy would've caused some positive impact.

When it came to Luke and the effects caused by his deeds,it was mostly negative, the son of Hermes was certain of that. Luke had played with many demigods' hopes and dreams,especially the ones in cabin 11,in order to help Kronos' uprising. Thinking back,the demigod remembered how scarily good he was with deception and general manipulation, and,with the aid of the Titan Lord himself (and his informations), he knew which individuals could've been persuaded. Percy obviously wasn't one of them,so he had to die. The scariest part of it was how ruthless Luke became through the years. Having Kronos (literally) inside his head was a terrible situation, especially since Luke got to witness the Titan using it do do barbaric things,and being unable to stop. However,there was a plus side in all of that: the lack of trickery,manipulation and beautiful lies. Kronos and his megalomaniac sadism were there for everyone to see,as if the titan had disposed of his best weapons:the ability to exploit negative thoughts. That rubbed on Luke himself. He hoped the demigods he manipulated managed to live a better life, even though it was unlikely. And that's not even accounting for the ones that died.

Something appeared suddenly on Luke's side,interrupting this thoughts and startling him,and that made Luke go to the battle mode. The demigod looked around the place,and it was chaotic. Lots of dead souls were roaming around the judgment pavilion, many of those had no idea of where they went. However, Luke was 100% sure about what he wanted,in that moment: get away from the underworld (okay,maybe Luke wasn't as ready to face trial as he thought he was). He had gotten in and out of the underworld to steal The Helm of Shadows a few years ago, so escaping that place would be easy to him,especially with the chaos. Even the Furies were with their hands full dealing with whatever bullshit was happening in the Hades.

There were plenty of doors in and out of the underworld,Luke thought to himself while entering a particularly loud cloud,but not all of them are viable options. The traditional one,through the River Styx,was a big no no. Nothing that could go through the "Royal Palace of the Underworld" was acceptable, nor places like Elysium (many souls wanted in),Asphodels and Fields of Punishment (too many souls wanted out),the vigilance would be too heavy.

Besides worrying about how heavily secured they were,Luke couldn't draw too much attention for himself. He had to use the mob like one uses a bus:as means to get close to their destination, but not in the exact place. Then,Luke remembered a great one:it was nearby the Asphodel Fields,many souls were around the place,and was somewhat secluded. So,Luke proceeded to blend in the crowd by pretending to be some aimless soul(while hiding his face from whomever might know him,even vaguely),discreetly separated himself from the people, and managed to get away.

Luke Castellan managed to get away from the underworld without being spotted. However, the son of Hermes was paying attention to each possible detail. He had to,especially considering his incident with Ares after stealing Zeus' lightning. Besides,monsters we likely still a problem(some believe that they're attracted by demigods using telephones and internet,but this was just a rumor-shaped prank,spread by many campers,especially children of Hermes. Those instruments were crucial for both sides of the war. Although demigods couldn't Google monsters or angry deities on it,but that's mostly because "names have power", regardless of the media).

It was around 9 am. Luke found himself in a small town,probably around Midwest USA. It had plenty of small businesses,parents hanging out with little kids. Most of those people were well off and white.

The first thing about urban survival is that the most essential thing is money. Another one is having a good appearance(not in the sense of having genetic luck,although Luke was doing great on this department). Also,cellphones were as important in the mortal world as it was in the demigod one,since almost everyone else had a smartphone. Luke hoped he didn't have to give too much information about himself,he was technically a guy who dropped out of the school at 9 and went missing.

Luke went to an ATM,to "withdraw" money,hoping his powers would work there. The machine didn't obey his mental request to take his money. Luke would probably have to "hack" an specific account, he deduced(This is going to be a two edged knife,being a son of the god of Internet will surely make it easy,but dyslexia would be a pain in the ass). So,Luke would have to open the machine and take the money without triggering any alarm. All of that while looking around to avoid being caught.

The first door,the external,had readily opened under Luke's command. Then,when Luke touched the second,something lit up. It was almost like the Daedalus' Labyrinth with the Delta symbol, but it was gold,and a bunch of words showed up. To Luke's surprise, it was Latin. On the top of all that,the son of Hermes could read every word written, but not without a struggle. A little easier than English, though.


	2. Blank Slate

Luke started to read the writings in Latin,while in awe with the ease he had.

Nam in Mercurii proximo puer Vos can reperio locum ad tectumque et Berkeley, California. Ibi: Et tu esto cum civibus Romanis hereditates semidei. Post tuis instinctum, et invenietis Novae Romae. All of that translated roughly to "For the next child of Mercury You can find shelter and a place at Berkeley,California. There,you will live with your fellow Roman demigods and legacies. Follow your instincts,and you shall find New Rome".

All of that was too much information, so Luke had to keep doing his task of stealing money from the ATM,and without getting caught. So,he took roughly US$2000,and closed the machine in a way that looks like it hasn't been even touched(that's a lesson Luke learned the hard way as a 10 years old,after almost going to juvie). However, the curiosity was still in the back of Luke's head.

Luke decided to buy a burnable cellphone and a few clothes and shoes,besides looking for a place to crash. He couldn't trust any hotel/hostel/whatever because of the monsters. So,the son of Hermes had to be extra careful.

By the night, Luke chose a cozy hotel hotel accepted cash and didn't make many questions. The demigod took a shower and went to sleep. During his years on the run,Luke had learned that having a fresh head was essential in risky situations.

In his waking hours,Luke's conscience didn't bother him,but the remorse came in the shape of nightmares.

The first one was basically a sequence of atrocities committed by Luke himself and/or in his behest. Poisoning Thalia's tree to weaken the camp,all while sending awful monsters to kill the demigods there,having Annabeth hold the sky,the attack to CHB through the Daedalus' Maze,the entire Battle of Manhattan. By that time,Luke was already disillusioned by Kronos and his army,and not only because he had to host said Titan(although Luke wasn't necessarily a brave individual,and didn't like the idea of sacrificing himself for a cause. He only did it to undo his shit and because Annabeth,the little sister he betrayed, urged him to do it). The veil of deception and lies was slowly getting thinner,and Luke had a harder time justifying himself each day.

The second bad dream was specifically about trickery and manipulation,both perpetrated and suffered by Luke. How Kronos used Luke's rage,sorrow and loneliness (the latter was more of a constant in his life than he'd like to admit,even to himself), all while using psychological torture as a punishment, or to keep Luke in line. The son of Hermes also had his fair share of manipulations,and even though he used a friendlier approach,it was just as dangerous. Luke had used some campers' trust on him to lead them to serve Kronos,and some were even sacrifices. If they had an infatuation, Luke would also have them wrapped around his finger with some crafty persuasion. The worst about all that was the fact that it didn't differ much from how Luke acted before Kronos. When he found Annabeth,he made sure to empathize and take care of her,while taking her in. It was basically the same with Luke's recruiting, but it was the promise of a new world,a better one,with company and warmth. How much of that was Kronos' doing, and how much was Luke all along?

A few hours after the nightmare ended,Luke woke up,soaked in sweat. He felt like he was beat the crap out of,despite the lack of physical scars. And as he deserved that and worse.

Luke decided to take a shower,as if it was a way to wash all the shame and self-loathing the was feeling. Luke brushed himself really hard with the sponge,enough to get red in many places of his body. After that,he punched the walls several times. Luke was angry and his hands hurt badly. Better anger and hurting physically than crying and hugging himself,it was his motto. Besides, wrath was easy to disguise behind a nice smile and warm mannerisms, as many passive aggressive people would agree. But sadness and sorrow,not so much.

Luke Castellan didn't want to be Luke Castellan anymore, he wanted a blank slate,especially if he was going to a whole new place. He just had to go to the pharmacy, buy hair dye and a cream to make his scar disappear. Oh,and also something to cover his head,since he entered the place as a blond. Both brands had demigods working for them,what made the products better(children of Greek gods were better at everything than mortals,but rarely thrived because of the monsters hunting them). He thought about contact lenses of any color but blue,but they would be too much of a hassle,therefore, a luxury Luke couldn't afford.

The scar cream package promised the big scars would vanish completely after 5 or 6 applications,but Luke's one was already fading after 30 minutes. "Maybe my magical blood erased it quickly", he thought," and this package speed is for mortals". The (auburn) hair dye reacted with even more intensity. Luke removed the product only 45 seconds after applying it. That was weird,it took roughly two minutes to completely react to children of Hermes(it involved a prank on cabin 10,and the Stoll brothers having to appear like clowns in activities and meals during a week as revenge).

Luke was searching for buses that would go anywhere near Berkeley, California. He was at a small town in Missouri. Thanks to his demigod powers,Luke didn't have to pay for WiFi use,but dyslexia was again a pain in the ass(hard time reading everything written). Due to the fact that Luke barely had an identity,real or fake,he had to go buy his ticket personally with the cash he stole. So,the demigod temporarily left the hotel to buy tickets, as the bus would leave the station the day after,at 9 pm.

The waiting for the time to leave left Luke really bored,and it was a pleasant autumn morning(it was October 4),sunny and chilly, but not too much. Before leaving, Luke decided to put a few alarms on his cellphone,as a way to help him program himself.

During the day,Luke walked through the small town looking for sites,and as a way to exercise himself, but quickly got bored with it. So,he decided to practice his skills with internet and programing,using his powers and crappy smartphone. Said skills were on a above average level. During his time with the titans,Luke didn't have to deal with internet-related stuff much,considering his relatively high position. Besides,he talked to his spy in Camp Half Blood using a magic charm,something untraceable(and there were plenty of Hermes kids in the camp,what made Luke use the internet mostly as bait).

One thing that surprised Luke was the lack of monsters in the small town,especially considering he was an adult demigod. So,he decided to have a nice,quiet lunch at a restaurant with WiFi. He ate two big turkey sandwiches (fast metabolism) and drank a coke,while browsing the internet,and trying to figure out banking sites without getting caught.

Luke called the waitress, paid his tab and left. The waitress looked at Luke,as if examining the son of Hermes, but she didn't say anything. That put Luke on alert mode. Even though his change of looks was motivated by self-loathing,it was very useful on Luke's mission to survive. He had plenty of enemies, not only Olympus and it's allies,but also in Kronos' army,especially considering he was the one who effectively killed the Titan Lord. That New Rome place had to be a good clean slate,a chance to do things right.

Luke left the town,but pondered going back there(or at least on Missouri) as a plan B. Quiet place,no monsters,a possible sense of community. A few hours later, he fell asleep in the bus. Of course, he couldn't get rid of nightmares.

The place seemed like a completely ordinary fast food bar in the surface, but there was something more sinister underneath it. That was a major monster meeting point. Initially the Monster Food Chain only dealt with donuts, but they decided to get more diverse. Hence them selling fast food.

There was a huge argument between a monster and an adult demigoddess. The monster was a dracaena and the half-blood woman was Natalie Lively, daughter of Melinoe. She was a tall,thin 27 yo with pale skin,blond hair and creepy green eyes. Beautiful, but scary. The Titan Army had her in their back pocket, in case Hades was a threat to their army. However, no one trusted her much,considering how much of a wildcard she was.

-Natalie,why did you do that?-The dracaena asked,as if the daughter of Melinoe made something extremely stupid.-Most of our current plans hinge on the surprise factor! But no,you decided to wreak havoc on the Underworld!

-Cynthia, the chaos has it's purpose.-Answered Natalie, feeling totally relaxed,and looking regal. -Besides providing distraction and keeping everyone in the underworld busy,it's also a window of opportunity to us. See,it was pretty easy to manipulate the ghosts,all while letting some people of interest getting out. Besides, if things go awry,we can always use my dear mom as a scapegoat.

-And what about the others,Natalie?-Cynthia said in an impatient,condescending tone. -Many of our enemies and possible enemies could also have used this window of opportunity. Besides, I heard some of the Greek demigods aren't what they appear to be.

Natalie was already bored with the subject, and suddenly started talking about cat stuff on YouTube and Instagram.

-Here we go again.-Complained the dracaena. A few minutes later,Luke woke up.

The bus had stopped at the station,and the driver would be replaced. That's when the son of Hermes decided to have breakfast. This time,the waitress was an ordinary woman,and didn't think much of Luke.

Soon after the breakfast, Luke was approached by a little 8 yo girl. She was in girl scouts uniform,and had blonde pigtails.

-Sir,we are selling cookies and cupcakes. Come to my table,and check out.-She smiled in an innocent and adorable way,so Luke decided to buy whatever they were selling. He went to the table,and there was another girl,a brunette in a ponytail.

-There're traditional and chocolate flavored cookies. Some have chocolate chips,others have peanuts, others have sprinkles. -Said the brunette, looking cute. But the son of Hermes didn't like cookies,it tasted like mold to him. -And for the cupcakes, there're chocolate with fudge, coconut with coconut topping,and the English traditional one,with both toppings.

-I want one of each cupcake flavor, please. -The demigod was already thinking of desert. He paid the girls,got the cupcakes in a small plastic bag, and walked away. When the son of Hermes took a bite in the coconut one,he felt the candy tasted a little too sweet,but not enough to have a bad taste. Even then,Luke decided not to eat the other two cupcakes. He knew too much of poisoning to know some substances could be very insidious. Besides, some monsters poison half-bloods to eat them later. "That was clever", he admitted. "They took the shape of cute little girls. Besides the fact that adorableness attracts people,if I tried to defend myself, all those oblivious mortals would see was an intoxicated big,strong guy beating up little kids".

When the son of Hermes entered the bus,he was starting to feel dizzy. Magical poisons are different from mortal ones,they don't depend much on concentration nor on the physiology of their victims. So,the redhead took a seat,and tried to remember what did the monsters used to lace the cupcakes,despite the growing feeling of Most likely, it wasn't something that affected mortals. Even though they were painfully unaware of their surroundings(the mist wouldn't work as well if mortals weren't so gullible),selling toxic candies would've drawn a lot of unwanted attention even from the stupidiest people. So,that narrowed it down a lot. Besides, the substance had to be relatively abundant and easy to find, in order for it to be put in a lot of stuff. Considering both the cookies and the cupcakes were industrialized,the toxins had to have the flavor and the consistency proper. Something sweet or flavorless that could be transformed into powder.

The demigod started to see sounds and hear smells. The intensity of the colors and the deliciously artificial enthusiasm made him feel calm like he never did on his life. So,he used all his willpower to look on a database of magical toxins,in a website made by children of Demeter,Apollo,Dionysus and Hermes in Camp Half Blood(he saw kids of Hecate and one of Tyche as well,what made him happy),all in Greek(including, somehow,the source code,since it was made by children of Hephaestus and Athena). It was Η αίσθηση μεταβάλλει τη χαρά,or Sense-Altering Joy. That plant was very fun at parties(or during boring mythology/ancient Greek classes,according a duo of mischievous tricksters the demigod remembered with distant fondness),as long as the person had the antidote in hands. Otherwise, it could be a nasty,long death. After the hallucinations, there was something akin to an anaphylactic shock, but worse. And all of that could've passed as a new,synthetic drug to the mortals. The antidote was rare,and obviously couldn't be found on that moving bus. Besides, he'd have to wait a long time until the next stop. So,he was as good as dead. That and nectar/ambrosia, but there was none of it on Midwest USA.

The nice feeling was starting to fade,indicating the fact that the nasty symptoms were about to come. So,the demigod decided to try his luck,and see if he'd find any magical creature selling herbs. He only had mortal money,but was pretty skilled as a negotiator(and it was still a lot of it).

The demigod was about to try escaping the bus,when a group of travelers approached him. They all appeared to be younger than the demigod,but still adults.-Are you okay?-Asked a young woman,probably on her late teens,early twenties. She was nice and warm,while looking like someone who could hand his ass to him without breaking a sweat. Not only her aura,but her short yet muscular body frame indicated it. -I'm Hayley Aizawa. What are you feeling?

Hayley started to feed him nectar and ambrosia,with tiny gold and silver sprinkles. The taste was the most amazing thing in his life.

It was cristal clear Hayley wasn't just a mortal. Perhaps, she was a daughter of Apollo,the healer of the group. So,the redhead explained everything, including the fact that he ate poison-laced cupcakes,and what said poison was.

Hayley cursed in Latin. -They're active again. Listen... Son of Mercury,right? -The patient nodded,and the golden light on the ATM came into his head.-Those girls who sold you candies are monsters. There's plenty of monsters around the country, especially in big towns. However, those ones focus on small ones,and they have the same MO. Poison a half-blood,follow them closely and eat them. These herbs also enhance the smell,especially if they're adults,like you. Besides, they always choose plants that drastically reduce the willpower.

-My name is Adrian Richards. You already know Hayley. Those behind us are Gabrielle and Malcolm. -Said a thin guy,with sandy blond hair and blue eyes. He pointed to a delicate tall black girl with flowers on her hair and to a guy that looked like he was her twin. Adrian seemed energetic and smart as a whip. Despite their individual mannerisms, they all had the same military posture. The ambrosia and nectar were already making effect.-Who are you, and for how long have you been living on the streets?

-Since I was nine. -Luke(no more) said).-I'm Jason Dunne. I've always known I was a demigod,and lived on the streets for most of my life. It was hard to survive until the age of 23. However, I've never known of a demigod shelter until I used my powers to steal the money inside an ATM machine. Some instructions in Latin appeared with my touch, in gold coloring.

-During the missions for New Rome,some of us leave messages behind for anyone with at least a tiny bit of divine roman blood to find the safe city. -Gabrielle said. -It helps a lot of demigods and legacies on the run.

Jason was very surprised with a particular word. -Legacies? What's that?

-Descendants of roman deities. -The girl with the hair flower answered. -Most of them have it very diluted, or of minor deities,considering the odds of survival of half-bloods. But New Rome offers shelter and life opportunities for them. Besides, there's training for whoever decides to live in the mortal world.

Jason Dunne didn't want anything with the mortal world. -What life opportunities?-He asked.

-I think it's better if you see with your own eyes. -Adrian was dismissive. -But I can tell you, there's a lot of stuff in the town.

-Invitation accepted. -Jason smiled in a somewhat formal tone.

-Do you want a weapon,Jason? - The blond asked.

-A sword,please.

Adrian took a huge,golden blade out of his pocket,what surprised Jason. -Bottomless.


	3. Dubious Fortune

-How is the safe place for demigods and legacies you call New Rome?-Asked Jason Dunne.

-It's basically a modern city-state. -Explained Malcolm,Gabrielle's paternal half-brother. -New Rome is an independent town,founded when the Roman Pantheon moved to the US,in the first half of the 19th century. Yes,they were involved in the Civil War. You can think all you want about how it was about mortal conflicts, but they were mostly pawns. In fact,many of the American conflicts are related to demigods. This one,for example, was Greeks against Romans. -Malcolm kept talking about several historical events.

Gabrielle was used to her brother's tendencies to babble about things he was interested to, and jump from a topic to another. He was basically a history nerd. While she and Malcolm had the same mortal father and roughly the same age,they had different goddesses as mothers(hers was Fortune,his was Salacia - goddesses of the salt water, wife of Neptune).

After Malcolm finished his enthusiastic monolog, Jason asked about how New Rome functioned nowadays. -Like I said,it's basically a very small country. There's the commerce you see in every modern small town,the military, agriculture and livestock,even some mining. While our sanctuary is mostly self sustaining, we do have to make commerce with mortals.

-This sounds great. - Said Jason,while talking to Malcolm. -During my life,I traveled through practically all the states,and even made some trips to Mexico and Canada. All of that trying not be eaten by monsters,or getting into more "mundane" dangers.

Jason Dunne seemed like a strong, very savvy guy,as expected from someone who allegedly lived in the streets for several years. He was also charismatic and friendly,not to mention very good looking. He had the elfic expression of Mercury kids,unkempt red hair,blue eyes,was tall and had a muscular build. However, according to Gabrielle's instincts, Jason also had some huge bad fortune on his past that somehow bled into other people's fortunes,and his future seemed to be possibly connected to someone else's. A lot of someones.

After reading Jason's fortune,Gabrielle made a point of silently observing the son of Mercury, especially after some New Romans committed betrayal,some of them being big shots. However, most of the traitors were creatures like fauns and members of the "lesser" cohorts.

In the middle of the night,Gabrielle was very much awake,unable to sleep. She was thinking about Jason. It was very likely he was lying about his background,if the daughter of Fortune was right on her read of his past. But hiding one's past wouldn't ring bells on itself,since people are entitled to their privacy. However,Gabrielle was almost certain Dunne had been involved with some bad shit.

The daughter of Fortune couldn't allow another possible traitor in her camp,especially someone who was probably a very poisonous individual underneath some sweet surface layers. However, she also couldn't reveal her suspicions to the new demigod. So,she decided to text her brother,not caring about his sleep.

Mal,wake up!

What,Gabi? Please tell me it's not about your paranoia! I need to sleep!

It's about Jason! I've sensed some nasty fortune trail on him! And it's not paranoia if I'm right!

Most,if not all demigods,have a thing or two off about their pasts. Maybe Jason was in some gang for a while,or whatever.

That Jason was involved in something way worse than petty gang stuff,I'm sure. Besides, remember how the Legion weirdos rebelled against New Rome,for some reason?

They weren't just whiny idiots complaining about little things,Fortunata. Plenty of people had their peeves with our system. It's great at some things,but it can be pretty harsh to the individuals who can't fit in.

You can say whatever you want,Salty. But New Rome took them in,and they ate the hand that fed them. Besides, the town has rebuilt itself pretty quickly. That proves they weren't supposed to be even there. This conversation is over.

Gabrielle temporarily blocked her brother in the chat(she didn't want another one of his lectures),and resumed the observation of the new son of Mercury. "This guy seems to be in his early to mid twenties,a very weird age to find out about the existence of a demigod sanctuary. Many half-bloods die before that,especially if they don't know about their heritage, therefore being able to make the necessary precautions." The daughter of Fortune had her mind racing. "However, not only Jason survived, but seems to be perfectly healthy,despite supposedly living in the streets for roughly a decade. And he seems polite and pleasant in a laid back way,instead of acting like a street rat(but that might be because he had a somewhat decent living after a while,and learned to defend himself from eventual monsters). His accent seems generically American,with no regionalisms,so that's no help for background check either. His past is what's most troubling, though. Obviously, Jason Dunne was involved with something nasty. Perhaps some kind of mortal army stuff,or a particularly influent criminal group. Many demigods thrive in the mortal world(when they manage not to die young), but not all of them are good people. Jason might be a fairweather guy,he's great when everything is great,but when things get hard,he flees,or betrays everyone he knows..." And Gabrielle spent the entire night up,finding a way to read Jason's hopes and despairs during his sleep(fruitlessly, BTW).

The bus made a stop at 9 AM,in Salt Lake City. It was an unanimous decision of the other demigods that they would have breakfast at the station.

All of the five demigods had different meals. Gabrielle and Malcolm decided for black coffee,toasts and scrambled eggs;Jason had an egg sandwich and also black coffee;Adrian and Hayley decided for tons of bacon and a big glass of coca cola. For a daughter of the god of medicine, Aizawa had a pretty trashy diet.

The half-bloods were having a really nice time chatting during the meal.

-I'm gonna tell the history that made me clean and pick unicorn crap for an entire month. -Adrian had a mischievous, too cheerful grin while reminiscing. Vulcan might have been a god invoked by the romans to control fires and destruction, but his children and legacies surely liked to cause mayhem.

Then,Jason Dunne told some tale of him and some old friends making practical jokes. The son of Mercury also made a comment about how pranks could be more precise and refined,without needing a big mess. Typical son of Mercury. "We're tricksters and thieves,not clowns!"

Gabrielle noticed something off about Jason when he mentioned his prankster friends,aside from distant affection,but that something wasn't clear,she just knew it was negative.

After a long discussion about practical jokes,Hayley asked about the foods Jason ate across the country. He compared dishes from all the country, but made a witty retort about how hunger was the best thing to the flavor of food. Aizawa then asked about kinds of junk,unhealthy food,while complaining about how restrictive the New Rome Army was about eating habits.

Gabrielle thought Jason looked and acted too perfect. She wanted some kind of crack in his walls. Then,her train of thoughts was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. It was Hayley,asking her to go to the bathroom.

The bathroom was empty, as there were little to no passengers in the station.

-Gabrielle,did you spend the whole night up worried about traitors?-Asked the daughter of Apollo,having a worried expression on her face. -It was already bad when you started to look for traitors everywhere in the Army and the city in general. In fact,you only looked in certain places,what makes it worse.

-As a daughter of Fortune,I have to watch out for signs of bad luck,especially after the war we had not even a year ago!-Said Gabrielle, looking tired yet fierce.-Remember how those people turned on us? Especially Olivia,the centurion of the Tenth Cohort. Besides,I read Jason's fortune,and he did something terrible, or at the very least was involved with it. And his future is also tied to New Rome,somehow.

-Okay,I admit that Jason Dunne might've been an awful guy. -Hayley agreed. -But sickness can be healed,and many traitors redeemed themselves.

-Yeah,you're right on that. - Gabrielle conceded. -And there are some psychologists in the Army making evaluations for new recruits,maybe I can get more information on him.

-Patient/professional sigil is still a thing,you will only get general stuff at best. -Retorted Hayley.-However,you could also use some therapy. And sleep.

-Yeah,I know that fucking secrecy of health professionals. -Gabrielle complained,while eyerolling.

When the girls left the bathroom, it was almost time to leave. The demigods just paid the tab and went straight to the bus. After the effect of caffeine worn off, Gabrielle fell asleep.

The daughter of Fortune had a dream with a former legionnaire. Olivia Vazquez, daughter of Somnus and traitor to New Rome. However, she couldn't see much of the dream.


	4. Go with the flow(but which one?)

That was a beautiful day of Spring in Utah. The sky was blue,the sun was bright, the weather felt warm in a mild,pleasant way.

Jason was chatting with the roman legionaries,telling funny histories and laughing. Gabrielle was deeply asleep on her seat,while Adrian and Malcolm looked at her with mischief in their faces. The son of Vulcan even decided to take her picture.

-Little Miss Perfect is even drooling, and her hair is a mess! First time for everything.-Adrian said,his smartphone in hand,while walking to Gabrielle,who slept on a faraway seat. The daughter of Fortune was indeed elegant and delicate while woke,besides being very beautiful, but she looked awful in her sleep. Jason was pretty sure Gabrielle didn't sleep at night,and she was very tired.

Seeing Adrian's mischievous and energetic personality made Jason feel nostalgic. However, dwelling about the past had no use,and the son of Mercury had to focus on the present and future.

Adrian was walking in direction to Gabrielle's seat,where she slept deeply. Then,he proceeded to take pictures of her in the least flattering angles possible,directly sending them to the other legionaries. The demigods were having a lot of fun with the pics,albeit in different ways. Hayley cackled while ranting about how rare seeing an untidy Gabrielle was,Malcolm smirked silently and Adrian was trying hard not to wake up the daughter of Fortune.

Jason Dunne felt like an outsider. Despite how well treated he was by the roman demigods and he got along nicely with them,he was still the 23 yo(although they weren't much younger than they were) tagalong they found on a road not even 72 hours ago. A sharp contrast between their group dynamics, full of fondness and inside jokes. On top of this, Jason had good social skills, and knew how to get along with people,but was lousy at getting and having close relationships. The son of Mercury was lonely,and that was far from usual.

Another bad side of loneliness is how receptive one's head was to negative thoughts. Jason felt like he was terrible,has never deserved anything good,and everything he touched was ruined. Besides, Dunne also felt like it was pointless to care about things, since the immortal authorities are a bunch of petulant yet apathetic kids,who wouldn't even take a look on those who were supposed to worship them;moreover an attempt to change said system would end up being something futile and with too much bloodshed, regardless of well-intentioned teenage heroes and their sincere efforts.

The downbeat monologue was interrupted by an abrupt turn to the left,throwing Jason against his window. Besides, Adrian's yelling was louder than anyone else's on the bus. The son of Mercury heard Gabrielle's startled screaming in Latin. Other passengers complained about the injuries caused by the accident.

After that crazy turn,Jason Dunne noticed the bus driver was doing his job terribly. Like he was drunk or on drugs. He and all the passengers were trying to hold themselves,to avoid more injuries. The son of Mercury couldn't help noticing how the legionaries suddenly got all serious and cold-headed,while texting. Then,all the roman demigods took a position. Gabrielle started chanting in Latin,a blessing to give everyone in the bus good fortune,and highly increasing the chances of success the group would have on this particular task. She looked like a goddess,and her dark brown eyes glowed with golden,silver and green tiny dots. Meanwhile,Malcolm,who apparently didn't have any useful special skills or powers to that particular moment,turned off the engines and took the driver to a seat nearby Hayley. The daughter of Apollo was ready to examine and heal the guy. Meanwhile,Adrian took the wheel.

That group was extremely competent, and they had a perfect synchrony. The latter was something Jason would've given his sword hand to have with his chaotic siblings and cabin mates,in his old life.

The driver,already feeling better after half an hour(probably was a mortal,since Hayley didn't give him any magical medicine, and her face had the typical power use exhaustion),felt very apprehensive about all that,and made a lot of questions, all answered by Hayley. The other mortals in the bus looked just as scared as the driver,as Malcolm Johnson talked to them,looking like a mix of a flight attendant in a particularly rough turbulence (yes,Jason Dunne/Luke Castellan traveled in a plane. It involved theft and persuasion by bribery and charm. The turbulence was some temper tantrum of a deity) and a high ranking military guy. Meanwhile, Gabrielle Johnson used some silent Fortune magic,subtle and powerful, to make the mortals feel safe(everything is going to be fine,basically).

-My name is Malcolm Irwin (Jason didn't think much of the son of Salacia using a fake surname), and I'm part of the US Army,just like the other people I'll mention. Ladies and gentlemen,you're aware we had an accident moments ago. The driver passed out due to an unknown,and we have a doctor taking care of him. -Malcolm pointed to Hayley's direction. Her youth(she was 21 yo) made people a little worried,but she wasn't some mediocre mortal med student,Jason thought.-If anyone is injured,Hayley Yagami can take care of you. The one driving is Adrian Rostenkowsky,our mechanic. The destination of this travel is exactly the same,we aren't highjacking this bus. When the driver recovers,he will be piloting this bus. We will be here to ensure your safety.

The passengers seemed to believe everything and were at ease. Jason Dunne wasn't sure if it was the way the romans took care of the situation,if it was Gabrielle's powers,or a mix of both. Hijacking vehicles filled with mortals was extremely easy if one had a demigod with some sort of mind-altering powers. Besides, the idea of using a demigod to do the talking, and the other to use the persuasion magic(the daughter of Fortune wasn't even mentioned by her half-brother) was intelligent.

-Excuse me. -Said a feminine voice in one of the seats behind Jason. It was filled with Venus kid magic. Everyone on the bus,including the legionary demigods,stopped to listen,what put Jason on the edge.

The son of Mercury was very familiar with this kind of magic. Some of her kids used it to get favors from him,others used it because they were infatuated with him,but it was with both ends most of times. However, this girl was particularly powerful, in a way none of her siblings were. Jason looked at the girl,and she was wearing jeans,a white T-shirt of Bart Simpson and running sneakers. She was stunning,with brown hair,pale skin and multicolored eyes(brown,blue,green,amber etc.),in a very kaleidoscope-like way,and she was probably on her early 20's. He felt her power flowing through him,an overwhelming sensation. It was similar to when other children of Venus used their powers on him,but much more intense. It was demanding a lot of willpower for Jason to resist it.

How will I know those guys are telling the truth?-The kaleidoscope girl asked,in a perfect mix of reasonably untrusting and scared. Every word flowed through Jason Dunne,and he was beginning to think,for few seconds, that the roman demigods couldn't be trusted. Then,he snapped out of that,and noticed the mortals were getting unsettled. Gabrielle was struggling to keep control of the situation.

-We are on vacation. -Answered Malcolm.-The crisis happened, and we felt it was our duty to help you out. Don't worry,the driver is recovering. According to Dr. Hayley, the guy passed out due to lack of sleep and drugs.

So,we have the reckless bus driver,and the one we don't know?-Asked kaleidoscope girl,with frightened voice and a ton of power. However, Jason was prepared for that,and it was slightly easier to resist. Besides,the son of Mercury noticed the magic his blood,body and soul,waking some long suppressed part of his. In a way,it didn't feel different from when Jason decided to pick locks with his mind,or controlling the internet. So,he decided to wield that power. The first thing was to make sure it didn't hit the mortals. So,Jason decided to literally dissipate the Venus power and put it out of the bus. That surely would help Gabrielle out.

Slowly but surely, the mortals were getting easier to deal with,the Fortune magic soothing their worries,and the Venus magic was being neutralized. However, Jason Dunne felt like the girl had to be contained, so he would try to defeat kaleidoscope with her own power. And this would obviously be a complicated thing. The son of Mercury was sure he could fight her with ease even in a confined place and without weapons,but attacking some girl out of nowhere wouldn't be the wisest thing to do. So,he would try to manipulate her emotions with her own power. Jason just hoped Kaleidoscope wasn't immune to it.

Pretty Girl took her cellphone to call 911,but Jason interrupted her. -Those guys can be trusted. -The son of Mercury said on a soothing tone,wielding Venus magic,and giving a warm smile. It felt great to control that power,but it was a very delicate operation,and had to be done in a very discreet way. If the girl realized the trick,things could go sou south pretty quickly. -They saved my life back in Missouri,and are taking charge of the current crisis. Those are members of the US Army. My name is Jason Dunne,and yours?

-Katrina Shelby.-Said Kaleidoscope. She looked more at ease with the situation. -I have this magical voice, and don't know why. My father said it's from my mother. I don't know who she is, she left when I was a baby.

Katrina looked very small and vulnerable, Jason Dunne couldn't help sympathizing with her,and wanting to give her a home. The abandonment and loneliness were quite visible, like it had been wearing her down.

-Hey,it must be pretty hard to not have a home,and feeling lonely. -Jason's voice was kind yet firm,like someone used to comfort people.-But I'm sure you'll find a new family,who will love you back. You also have to pay attention to those around you. Perhaps, there's already this found family, but you take it for granted,do bad shit and don't realize it until later.

The girl's multicolored eyes had an undecipherable expression,like she didn't know what to express. She embraced the son of Mercury.-Thank you,Jason. That gave me a lot to think about. Now,onto something happier. I love traveling through the country, and have lots of adventures to tell about.

It was a weird mood whiplash, Jason thought, but that kind of thing has happened before. Someone gets overwhelmed with complicated emotions, but when things calm down at least a little, they move on to a simpler, totally unrelated topic. Besides, Katrina was a very good storyteller,and her adventures amused Jason. When she was a kid and a young teen,she used to outright ask people for stuff. They gave her said stuff,but minutes later the effect worn off, and there were a bunch of mortals angry at her. Katrina even spent a time at the juvy. Not to mention how much of a prankster that girl was. In turn,Jason told about his own crazy life in the streets. Trolling stupid mortals was pretty fun,and Jason mentioned he also had persuasion powers,but a whole lot weaker than hers. More like commerce and trading. In some moment, Gabrielle claimed she needed Jason's help on some issue.

-What do you want,Johnson?-The son of Mercury asked,with poorly disguised annoyance. He accompanied her to her seat,somewhat distant from hers.

-Our money is running low,and we don't know how to hack any online banking. Can you do it for us?-The daughter of Fortune whispered. She didn't want to give Kaleidoscope another weapon against them. -I could use my powers to summon valuable, expensive things in general, but those powers are very unpredictable. But I can borrow you my phone, it's already enchanted. You can transfer it to my account in the Mercurial Bank.

-Yes,I can help you out. -Said Jason Dunne,still feeling a bit cranky about having his date interrupted(and there was also some old bile with the mention of his father's name). Then,he started working on things.

Even on the middle of a desert road,far away from any city,Jason could find and use Internet. However, bank defenses were tough, and having to be subtle about the hacking made things ten times more difficult,and getting through firewalls wasn't much like magical pick locking(having to use several powers at the same time - internet and thieving ones).

The son of Mercury worked incessantly on that project for several hours. Everything had to be perfect. He didn't feel like eating, sleeping or drinking water. Whenever a mistake was made,Jason felt extremely frustrated,but quickly corrected it.


	5. The Healer

Hayley Aizawa

"Jason's been hacking for 10 hours, with no sign to stop." Hayley was watching the son of Mercury working,feeling worried about him. Between that,the bus made two stops, one of them changing the driver. Hyperfocus wasn't new to the daughter of Apollo,especially considering she graduated in the New Rome Med School (it's shorter and harder than mortal ones) few months ago,and lived in the legion/city since she was 14. Besides,kids of gods and legacies had an extra set of powers,more stamina than other demigods,or both. However, the son of Mercury was obviously still affected by the Venus girl's mind control power,his face looked infatuated in an unnatural way. Gabrielle used this,plus her own powers,to have Jason hack into the bank. She wanted to induce the hyperfocus episode to make Jason more resistant to Katrina's magic,and simply because she wanted money. Dollars could be easily exchanged in New Rome.

-Jason is very hardworking and stubborn. -Gabrielle had been watching the son of Mercury closely. She seemed to think of him as a well hidden landmine, one gets blown to smithereens without even knowing what happened. -He also has some deep seated abandonment issues and a history with not valuing friends enough,just look at his reactions when the Shelby girl put out some BS sob story about her parents, and his pep talk to her. That Jason guy probably betrayed someone,and he's probably going to do it again! Besides,I've read Jason's past fortune,some bad shit in his past affected other people's fortunes,like a kind of viral infection! Why don't we just get rid of him?

-You're very intelligent and perceptive,on top of having great instincts. - Hayley said,with a gentle voice. -But we both have divine instincts, and mine say Jason wants a fresh start,and to heal. You said yourself he has issues,and is probably a sad person.

-And what if he's not a patient,but the cancer?-Her voice was calm and firm,but had anguish. Despite the fact that Hayley was 5'1" and Gabrielle 5'9", the Daughter of Fortune looked particularly small. The golden,silver and green tiny dots in her dark brown eyes glowed in a sad,desperate way. -Like the way it happened in New Rome? The fauns,some Fifth Cohort legionaries,Olivia Vazquez... And many other people. I even dreamed about Olivia once. It didn't show much,though.

-You do have a point about it. - Hayley said,feeling like her friend would need time to deal with the trauma. -However,we have to deal with the aftermath, and handle new threats. How is Katrina Shelby?

-She's handcuffed and can't speak. -Said Gabrielle. -We fooled the mortals by saying she was a murderer, and we'd hand her to the California Police. Malcolm is also watching out for body language. Now,here comes the question. How did Katrina know Jason's emotional weak spots? Despite his friendly,outgoing behavior, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to reveal stuff to just everyone.

-That's a very good one. -Hayley was in complete agreement about Katrina,but didn't want to talk about Jason Dunne. -For starters,how did she know about our mission? Or at least the itinerary we're making?

-We left the legion to seek out remnants of the rebels. -Gabrielle told,as Hayley made a silent "duh!" -Maybe that operation we ruined was bait, we bit said bait,and now our enemies tracked _us _down. Perhaps Katrina charmed the driver into drinking or taking drugs,as a particularly callous assassination attempt. But Shelby would also die. Is she that much of a believer,or just a suicidal girl with a grudge? Or did she have an escape plan all along?

-There's no way to know until she gets interrogated,and I'll leave it to the legionaries who are trained for that.

After that sentence, the daughter of Fortune had a huge jackpot face(pun intended). That made Hayley pretty worried about her friend's mental well-being.

-Girls,we're almost arriving on our last stop before California!-Only Adrian Hejsek and his fiery happiness to break such tension. That made both the girls visibly relieved. -Lucky Duck,you have a hair outside of place,better fix it!

Adrian was merely joking, but that comment made Gabrielle remember to use her frontal camera as a mirror. -My hair looks like _stercore_. Remind me of using braids instead of afro the next time we go on a mission. Fortune really blessed me with a good skin,though. Those mortal products are garbage, anyways.

-Did Jason finish that task? -Asked Malcolm.

-Yep,finished a few moments ago. -Jason Dunne looked very tired,but also as someone used to work well,regardless of how exhausted he was(although being a kid of a deity and a legacy has some perks the usual demigods don't have. Frank Zhang,a legendary demigod that had his prime in the 60's,was a son of Mars and descendant of Poseidon - Yes,the Greek form. He was naturally formidable, according to Malcolm's conversations about history). Even before seeing Jason wielding Venus magic,she was sure he was the goddess' legacy. Jason had the typically elvic Mercury feature(albeit arranged in a somewhat different way from his siblings),but they fit his face perfectly, making him one of the most handsome men she's ever seen,and that's saying a lot. He was tall,slim and muscular,with bright blue eyes,his skin was white with a little tan,friendly yet haughty facial features that could turn serious when very concentrated, bright red hair,clean shaved face(although it'd also look really good with a ginger beard).

-But I'll have to check him out. -Hayley answered. -He worked for 10 hours,without stopping.

Gabrielle joined Malcolm and Adrian at the last row,close to Katrina. At first,they seemed happy to see her,but the joy turned to worry when she started to talk(probably about Jason joining the team). Malcolm had a contained exasperation in his face,and was probably giving her explanation about something,advising her to use more logic,and act less on emotions. It was good advice, but the daughter of Fortune needed to manage her emotions, not ignore them.

-How are you feeling,Jason Dunne?

-Physically, I'm fine. Just tired and hungry. Now,my mind is fucked up. My wielding powers were working pretty well,but I dropped my guard,and Shelby attacked. She was more cunning and powerful that I thought. - The son of Mercury was emotionally vulnerable at the moment, but it wasn't exactly written in his forehead. She gave him some magical herbs with a little unicorn horn powder. -By the way,why did Gretchen ask me to hack into the bank?

-Gabrielle wanted you distracted enough to not being affected by Katrina, and we really need the money in the town. - Hayley's tone was gentle and a bit sad. - Our city was destroyed in a war against rebels.

Jason was understanding,like someone who's been through hell and back. He looked like an individual who could handle whatever crap life throws at him. -The life of a demigod is very hard and dangerous. We have to keep on our toes 24/7.

-However, we're also better than complete mortals in everything that matters. -Hayley looked cocky. -We're faster,stronger,smarter,have some skills. Everything they can do,we can do better.

-Yep. I even think I can go toe to toe with Simone Biles in gymnastics. -Jason said that with a wickedly joyful smile. -Not to mention how gullible they're! We can do some trashy magic,and they cater to all of our whims! As an example, Katrina could easily launch a WWIII singlehandedly, if she plays the right cards. Even when mortals do know about it,they think it's a MCU movie! How are those dumbasses still ruling the world? Totally changing subject, what will you do to Katrina?

Jason seemed like he was having a blast ridiculing mortals,and he looked amazing while doing it. By the way the sun shone on his face,his blue eyes were happy, his facial features chiseled and mischievous. Besides, he apparently had a sharp mind,besides being a very fun company.

-Don't worry,she's totally contained. -Hayley assured. -We will take her to New Rome. She's going to be interrogated by local authorities.

-That's great,the girl is very dangerous. - Jason felt relieved. - While I was under her spell,it felt amazing. Like,she felt like your ideal SO,the one you would trust the most. Besides, she's really good at knowing your wants and weaknesses. Not to mention how gorgeous she looked. However, when the trance was broken,I felt... Vulnerable and a sucker.

Jason Dunne felt awful, but Hayley couldn't help asking him out. -Hey,do you want to go to a restaurant nearby the bus station,just you and me? I'll warn the group.

-Sure. -Jason seemed okay with having a date. One might say it's dangerous to have a date in the middle of a quest,with a guy she barely knows,but being a demigod is inherently dangerous, so why not?

The crew was fine with the date,as long as they stayed at the bus station. Not only that,but it apparently was common for legionaries enjoy romantic adventures or just enjoying the field trip. Especially considering they got rigorous military and self-defense training, and had many ways of getting money.

Hayley ordered a huge hamburger, with chicken,bacon and sauce,besides a coke. She thought about a beer,but had to stay sober for a while. Jason chose a turkey sandwich with salad and an orange juice. The son of Mercury looked like he was doing fine,but between the harsh military city of New Rome,her experience as a physician,and few of her demigod abilities, Hayley noticed he was struggling to not break down and cry.

-I have an extensive knowledge of American junk food. -Jason said,giving her a slight smile. - But if you haven't eaten at New Orleans, you didn't live!

-I'm from San Francisco,and have never been to the East of the US. -Hayley commented,while crushing Doritos on her hamburger. -I'm eager to know more. Campers of all around the country,and even foreigners go to New Rome,but the cuisine doesn't feel... Regional enough,everything blends there. You have a very generically American accent,where are you from?

-Connecticut. -Jason said,and Hayley couldn't help making a WTF face. How did someone as hot and exciting as that son of Mercury,legacy of Venus came out of the most boring state of the United States of America? The daughter of Apollo met several demigods and legacies from said state,and everything they told about it sounded so boring! Besides,someone even said that state was filled with Karens. -Many people don't like my state,but they're not as unsubtle about it as you. I'm not very attached to my state,I spent most of my life in New York. The Big Apple is amazing,and I miss it.

-You said "my state" twice,Jason Dunne. You're not as detached from it as I thought. -Hayley quipped, but she noticed he had a nostalgic face when mentioning both places,as if they were of equal importance to him. Like San Francisco was to Aizawa herself, Chicago was to Gabrielle and Malcolm,Texas was for Adrian. -We can have several homes through our lives,hope none of those gets destroyed, defend the current one with all we have,and fix everything damaged.

-Sure. Anything can put us down,but we will always get up. -Jason said. Hayley was amazed with how handsome and resilient he appeared. That red tone didn't go well with many guys,but the son of Mercury pulled that off amazingly. His blue eyes shone with the late morning sun. The shirt he wore was a loose white one,and she noticed how muscular Jason was. -Destroyed buildings are awful, but the human factor is the hardest one. Aside from all the people who died,imagine how many got traumatized, lost someone they loved,did horrible things and struggle with morality, don't know who to trust...

-I think the material damages make everything worse,it's a whole package. -Hayley Aizawa was reminded of all the grief and pain she felt due to the clusterfuck that happened in New Rome,and how the mental health professionals were busy and overwhelmed. Gabrielle's paranoia didn't help matters either. The daughter of Fortune was a great friend, but she focused too much on one person,no matter how random it was,and treated them like a threat. -I'll tell something to you:Gabrielle thinks you're a ticking bomb sent to destroy what's left of New Rome. Usually, she's smart as a whip and has great instincts, but I don't think she's using either of those correctly. I can see you just want a blank slate,a place to heal. And I even believe you can help us getting back to our feet.

-You're both right, in a way. -Jason said,and Hayley was scared for a second, then relieved. -Not that I want to destroy this city of yours,but I'm not a good person,and did plenty of awful shit in my life. However,I just want to do good things and get an emotional rest now.

Hayley was 100% sure Jason was being honest. But she also didn't want to dwell on sad stuff at the moment. So,she asked:-What was the craziest or pettiest thing you did with your divine powers?

-It's hard to choose, but I'll go with a particularly nuts tale. -Jason answered. -When I was 16,I decided to steal jewelry from a jewelry store. I wiped it clean,sold it cheaper to a bunch of preppy girls,and got a fuckton of money. There's an extra:I activated the alarm while leaving!

-My father is the god of medicine, but I can also make people really sick. -Hayley had a crazy look in her dark brown eyes. -When I was in the Games of War in New Rome,my team was losing. Then,I decided to give some members diarrhea. That turned the game,but I had to do sewer duty for a week. That was terrible, but worth it!

Jason was laughing hard at the daughter of Apollo. And that's when Hayley was sure she had a chance with the son of Mercury,he was genuinely pleased with her company. She was about this make a move on him,but she got a call from Adrian,a warning about monsters in the bus stop.

Hayley left the table,and joined the formation with her friends. Jason was called by her,but claimed he was used to fight better alone. Katrina was being guarded by Malcolm.

Soon after meeting her friends,the daughter of Apollo felt alert and hopeful. Adrian and Hayley got their swords and shields, and Gabrielle was with bow and arrow ready,besides using her Fortune powers to manipulate the monsters' minds. She analyzed the monsters,and they were mostly ugly, brute creatures. -It was better that way,especially after knowing so many insidious, cruel creatures with emotional powers and high intelligence. -She said,and everyone agreed. But there were lots of them.

Adrian and Hayley were on the front, hacking through lines of creatures while not getting harmed,side by side. Gabrielle also shot her arrows. All that made the fight very easy,as the gruesome creatures became dust. -I can do this for a long time!-She quipped. That was very much true,Aizawa had an absurd amount of stamina,even for the standards of roman demigods.

Few minutes later,all the legionaries were free of monsters. However, Jason still had 5 of them around him. The son of Mercury was a terrific warrior,and he was gracious while doing it,even though his style was very much a street thug with superspeed and a magic sword. After defeating the monsters, he went to the bathroom.

-Jason's style has ancient Greek influence. -Malcolm commented. -Back in the day,the Greek barbarians had a solo fighting style,and they mostly swung their swords,instead of stabbing like us,romans.

-Dude,I don't see anything defined on this. -Adrian rolled his eyes. -Do you see any Greeks evading like Jason does? Or throwing chairs,for that matter? It's like those thugs who mug random people and get into knife fights. Jason is just way faster,and throwing chairs is easier for him than it's for mortals!

-Okay,the Greek influence isn't very strong or obvious,I give that to you. But it's there,my dear Hejsek. I'll even show you the pictures of the books I have on my cellphone.

-Jason Dunne is extremely shady,but he obviously isn't a _graecus_,baby brother. -Gabrielle argued,her tone truly gentle. -He said he knew about New Rome by touching one of the magical writings we have through all the country. Those writings are only activated by roman demigods and legacies. Besides, the Greek gods don't exist anymore.

-Yeah,you're probably right. -Malcolm agreed. -There's no reason for why the Greek gods might still exist. Besides, Jason's fighting style is perfectly coherent with someone who's a self taught fighter,and had to improvise. He's quite evasive, uses whatever is in front of him...

-I'm hungry.-Katrina Shelby complained,interrupting Malcolm. Luckily,the legionaries used power nullifying devices. -I thought even jailers fed their inmates, but apparently, you're worse.

-I'll get you food! -Hayley was already up. -What do you want?

-Grilled cheese and black coffee.

Hayley was halfway to the restaurant, when Jason arrived by her side. -Hey,I loved your war games diarrhea tale!-The son of Mercury sounded amused,and that boosted Hayley's ego. -Do you have more fun stories?

Hayley told several incidents of stupid legionaries she had to take care of as a medic. Jason seemed to enjoy all of them,especially the one where some dumb legacy of Invidia thought he had to rub ambrosia in the leg he broke,instead of eating it. She ordered the meal,waited a few minutes to get the meal,and returned to the table,while exchanging tales of dumb people doing dumb shit.

That moment felt particularly peaceful to Hayley,everything was fine,they were about to go to New Rome with someone who had information about their possible new enemies. The new hot guy found her fun to be around...

And Katrina was feeling weaker and weaker at each 10 seconds. The daughter of Venus was suffering in silence. Hayley tried to identify what was wrong with her,but failed to do so. The case was hopeless.

And a minute after Katrina Shelby finished eating, she was dead.


End file.
